Ahem…Cough…

The folks at Black Pride NYC were left temporarily speechless after an unflattering introduction
for Freddy at the group’s meeting last night at the LGBT Community Center on West 13th St. The lead-in from Emanuel Torres, the night’s emcee, went a little something like this:

“I’d like to introduce to you and bring to the podium for a few words…[sigh], Freddy Ferrer.”

Silence, followed by scattered applause. When Freddy took the stage, he gamely downplayed the awkward intro, saying, “Thank you Emanuel. I didn’t hear my cue. Excuse me.”

Torres, who did not shake hands with the speaker, later said that he simply had a moment of stage fright and was concentrating on not saying the name of another politician.